Saturday with a Difference
Set off to Tanjung Malim in the wee hours on Saturday morning. If one were to know me well, I would consider it a crazy idea to get to another place 100 km away just for an activity starting at 8am and return. Of course this time it interested me enough to get my ass off bed at 5am on Sat and thank God , I had a companion cum driver.
So, what’s the fuss? KAYAKING!!! Joined UPSI students to kayak at Sg. Marak just at the oppo village of this uni.
Kayaking…Let me make a flashback…Yup, a small lorry took us there (ppl plus kayaks, etc. for 24). This place we entered was nice, but the thrash left here and there was disappointing. Was a sad scene.
“Have you seen guys in skirts?” asked Jaep. “Yea, when they’re in sarongs and yea, in fact I’ve seen Prince Charles in skirt” I thought to myself. Apparently, this water resistant skirt like thingie is used to seal the opening of the kayak. When one comes out from his kayak, guess what, it’s not just for a soak in the water…….but to p-e-e.
“Kayaking, nothing difficult. You paddle and it’ll move at your will. You stop the current sweep you away. As easy as that;” I thought before I came. We started with a lil’ upward paddle. Immediately after I launched, I was with the current instead. I paddled and paddled, however, my kayak was obviously reversing and reversing, continued kayaking, this time with extra power, but only enough to slow the reverse. As I looked up, the rest of the group were in front of me, 10 m plus away and the gap is slowly widening! All except my companion aka sis is somewhere nearby battling the current as well. Lucky us, saved by good Samaritans. Cik Jaep (that’s what I heard his students calling him) and group members came to our rescue.
Along the river, I could smell durians. In fact, a few of my kayak mates picked one right beside the back and ate on the kayak. Wahliau…! There were also rambutan and mangoesteen on the ground to be seen around.
Though going down stream was much easier, the kayak tended to go side ways. Many times, I went straight to the riverbank if not to the outgrown branches. Later I noticed that kayaking actually involves some hip power. “
Cuba enjut,” one advised me when my kayak got stuck within the rocks. Subsequently, I tried it out when maneouvering downstream. It did help a bit aside from some of the round the clock rotation before turning back to my initial direction.
Going downstream with the swift current was super scary. The kayak would appear to fly instead of slide down if one were to make a wrong route down. Paddle left, paddle right left , right, left , right… aik why still go left, go..go right..!!!! Paddle left, left, left. CHECK POINT! *heaving a deep sigh of relief* tired arms.
And good news, I am still feeling the tightening of my arm muscles. Great!
